The Role of Choice-Lock Catheter and Trocar Technique in Percutaneous Ablation of Symptomatic Renal Cysts

BACKGROUND The most common benign lesions of the kidney are simple cysts. They are acquired lesions and mostly affect the elderly population. OBJECTIVES To describe the usage of choice-lock catheter and trocar technique in percutaneous renal cyst treatment and determining long-term outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective study was carried out between February 2000 and July 2011. Eighty-eight cysts all of which were Bosniak type-1 cysts were selected in 75 patients. The treatment indications were flank pain, hydronephrosis and hypertension. The choice-lock catheter was used for 84 cysts with the trocar technique. Ninety-five percent ethanol was used as the sclerosing agent. Maximum volume of the injected ethanol was 175 ml. The mean follow-up time after the treatment procedure was 23 months. Sixty-four cysts were located in the cortical and 24 cysts were located at the parapelvic region. RESULTS Fifty-seven cysts had complete regression, while 31 cysts regressed partially. After the procedure, pain was relieved in 44 (82%) patients and the pain alleviated in four (8%). Normotension was obtained in five (62.5%) of the eight hypertensive patients and no hydronephrosis was detected in nine patients. There were no relationship between the localization and the regression rate. No major complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous ethanol sclerotheraphy in simple cysts is a safe, cost-effective and minimally invasive method. We consider that this technique may be an alternative solution in the percutaneous cyst treatment.